March 21-March 27: This week in Memphis history

1974: On the front page of The Daily News, the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at Memphis State University was seeing indications of the national recession with a “mixed” set of indicators from January in the form of a continuing decline from a year earlier in new car sales. Durable goods employment showed a loss of 200 jobs. Manufacturing employment was unchanged. The local unemployment rate was 2.9 percent.

Meanwhile, the Hickory Hill Industrial Park added 150 acres for a total of 700 acres being developed by Bell & Norfleet Enterprises, including two miles of frontage on Shelby Drive. Today the area is a vital part of Memphis manufacturing and logistics.

1950: Among the 31 Memphians who passed the state bar exam: Erich W. Merrill, Arthur C. Faquin, William B. Ingram and Robert K. Dwyer.

1924: Bee Line Cabs was fighting back against yellow cabs. In a front-page ad in The Daily News, the company began with a question: “What color car would you buy? Our cars are the color of your car.” The ad ended with the motto: “A conservative care for conservative people.”

1885: The name of the Memphis Brewing Co. was changed to the Tennessee Brewing Co., signifying the change in ownership of the company and its brewery at Tennessee Street and West Butler Avenue.